Gun-rights advocates question arrangement due to sensitive info on applications

As Maryland's new gun-control legislation gets set to take effect, gun applications are through the roof, and many have complained about the legality of the Maryland State Police's decision to bring in temporary employees to help work through those applications quicker.

All around Maryland, the volume of shooting-related incidents has reinvigorated gun buyback programs, but is exchanging cash or goods for weapons -- often with no questions asked -- really making a difference? The 11 News I-Team decided to investigate.

Gun control activists fire the first salvo in the battle over gun rights and public safety by airing a new TV commercial in Baltimore on Monday that praises the measures signed by the governor last week.

Maryland State Police brought in dozens of temporary state employees earlier this year due to the massive backlog of nearly 40,000 applications still waiting to be processed ahead of the new gun laws that take effect Oct. 1.

The added employees are from the departments of Health and Mental Hygiene, Transportation, Public Safety and Correctional Services, Human Resources and Juvenile Services, all agencies that have employees accustomed to dealing with sensitive data. Officials said they will only enter the data from the applications into the system, and then police will investigate the information's accuracy and then approve or deny the applications.

But many gun rights activists were concerned about the temporary employees dealing with the private information on the applications. State Delegate Kevin Kelly, D-Allegany County, questioned the legality of the arrangement and requested Attorney General Doug Gansler issue an opinion on the matter.

In a letter dated Monday, Gansler did so, saying he saw "no legal obstacle" to Maryland State Police hiring state employees from the five other agencies. Gansler said the added employees only enter the data into the system and don't make any determinations about the accuracy of the information, nor do they get to approve or deny an applicant.

He said the law does not require that sworn officers be assigned to the data-entry task, and he said regular clerical staff at the MSP customarily do that duty, anyway.

The new gun law bans 45 types of assault weapons, but people who own them now will be able to keep them. The law also requires people to submit fingerprints to the state police to get a license to buy a handgun.

In addition, Maryland State Police will be able to suspend the licenses of gun dealers who fail to comply with new record-keeping obligations. The provision will allow the state police to supplement enforcement efforts of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The measure also requires mandatory reporting to law-enforcement officials of lost or stolen firearms.

Some of Maryland's top lawmakers on Tuesday will unveil a new radio ad campaign promoting the new legislation. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, House Speaker Michael Busch and state Sen. Brian Frosh are scheduled to attend a news conference on the ad's release. The campaign highlights the benefits of the state's new fingerprint requirement.